Week 4 has switched our focus a little to start with. The first 3 sections we're just talk about our notebooks, and ideas. It's now moving towards research. Research is a key part of writing, and something else the notebook can be useful for.
Whilst a notebook for ideas is a new thing for me, I'm not a stranger to the idea of research. 'Google is my friend' has long been a motto and it's rare I hear anything I'm not familiar with without quickly looking it up. I even use it during reviews. The other day I reviewed a piece that mentioned someone going blind because of a disease effecting the muscles around her eye. I spent ten minutes or so on a 'eye disease' website trying to find a technical name for the disease to offer the author as a way of adding detail to their writing.
By far the most research I remember doing though was for a piece of writing set in a fictional place at the time of the 'Newsies' which I'd never heard of. It proved to be a very interesting topic which I enjoyed greatly. Life experience can definitely help. A few trips to America during my life meant the currency wasn't too much of a problem although I did have to look up what sort of price things were back then.
Should research be invisible in books? I'm not sure. It certainly doesn't seem to have hurt Dan Brown's sales too badly. He's stories positively ooze with knowledge. Likewise the series I'm reading now by Alastair Reynolds very clearly demonstrates his knowledge/research of Astrophysics and somehow that makes it more fascinating to me.
In 4.5 we'll be planning some research. Lets get to it.
Happy Writing :-)
Showing posts with label Discussion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Discussion. Show all posts
Monday, May 19, 2014
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
3.13b Read the feedback.
Just like the review I did, my reviewers were asked to comment on my writing under the headings of three questions.
How was the central character portrayed and was this portrayal clear and interesting?
The central character is a young boy on his 9th birthday, full of the excitement of getting a year older, and 'becoming a man'. It shows his belief that he was now too old to believe in childish things, and wanted his birthday wish to show his maturity, even though there are still childish elements, such as wishing for an iced birthday cake.
What were the most, and least, successful aspects of the writing?
Excellent description of the scene, and the insights of the central character. Left me questioning when and where the scene was set - and the genre, but that is just me.
How was the central character portrayed and was this portrayal clear and interesting?
A charming character. The picture of a boy on the brink of manhood (in his time and place) really worked for me from the psychological pov, but I find I haven't developed a picture of him in my mind.
What made you think this piece was a story and did you want to read on?
The hints that this is another time and another place, and the growth to adulthood of the boy are themes that leave a lot of room for developing an interesting and absorbing story. One I would be happy to read.
An original idea. So many things hinted at, but not quite enough to pin down. A time when children had to grow up fast? A hint of Ireland in the speech? Magicians, and yet cities and birthday cake/'Happy Birthday'. Interesting, but a bit confusing.
My first review :
The central character is a young boy on his 9th birthday, full of the excitement of getting a year older, and 'becoming a man'. It shows his belief that he was now too old to believe in childish things, and wanted his birthday wish to show his maturity, even though there are still childish elements, such as wishing for an iced birthday cake.
---
I love that the reviewer picked up on the iced cake, and understood the relevance. I was concerned it might have been too subtle but this is encouraging.
---
What made you think this piece was a story and did you want to read on?
It made me want to see how his 'maturity' evolved, or whether the excitement of his birthday, once it was over, would see him return to his innocence.
What made you think this piece was a story and did you want to read on?
It made me want to see how his 'maturity' evolved, or whether the excitement of his birthday, once it was over, would see him return to his innocence.
---
I have no definite plans where this might go, but the idea of trying to progress his maturity whilst maintaining something of his innocence sounds like an interesting challenge!
---
What were the most, and least, successful aspects of the writing?
Excellent description of the scene, and the insights of the central character. Left me questioning when and where the scene was set - and the genre, but that is just me.
---
Fair points. A consequence of me not knowing where it is going means it does suffer from a lack of identity. A very true point. If I extended it, and established what sort of story it is then I would definitely have to come back to edit and make this opening section more defined in it's direction and genre.
Second Review :
A charming character. The picture of a boy on the brink of manhood (in his time and place) really worked for me from the psychological pov, but I find I haven't developed a picture of him in my mind.
----
This brings up an interesting and almost controversial point around character descriptions. This course is big on them, but the more I read the more I see the same comments from people appearing. Unless you get your description in very early you run the risk of shattering someone's own view of a character and that upsets them. However, here it seems I'm failing to get an image in. Maybe something as simple as mentioning a hair colour might be enough. Very pleased about the psychological part though. Getting into the head of a 9 year old is tricky.
---
What made you think this piece was a story and did you want to read on?
The hints that this is another time and another place, and the growth to adulthood of the boy are themes that leave a lot of room for developing an interesting and absorbing story. One I would be happy to read.
What were the most, and least, successful aspects of the writing?
An original idea. So many things hinted at, but not quite enough to pin down. A time when children had to grow up fast? A hint of Ireland in the speech? Magicians, and yet cities and birthday cake/'Happy Birthday'. Interesting, but a bit confusing.
---
Nice - this matches and expands upon the first comment very well. Yes, the lack of identity is a problem. Something to pin down very quickly if/when I continue this piece.
Interesting that both pick up on the idea of children growing up fast. Not anything I'd intended. He's not a man yet, he just thinks he is, in the way children often do. I recall myself as I approached 'double digits' in age I felt very grown up. But maybe it could be a thing? Perhaps in this world children are considered adults from 10 or 11. Something to think about.
---
As well as those two official comments I also received a very nice comment on the blog entry itself from Madeline at the Facebook group, and Gill once again set about the piece to offer great technical comments for me to think about and amend. I'm not sure if we are to redraft this in week 4 or 5, but I'll take those into account too if we do.
An eventful end to Week 3.
I'll see you next week!
Happy Writing :-)
An eventful end to Week 3.
I'll see you next week!
Happy Writing :-)
Brief intermission
An interesting discussion broke out yesterday. It concerns this blog, and the course.
In 3.13a I copied Sue's piece of writing for reviewing as per what I'd done as part of the course. I didn't think anything of it. I'd attributed it, and not tried to pass it off as my own work or anything, so that was that.
However little did I know, that by moving it from the (partially) secluded comments of the FutureLearn system into my blog I'd effectively made that piece of writing public. This would in most cases instantly disqualify it from any competitions, or other official avenues Sue might have wanted to take that piece in the future.
A moral quandary which the OU terms and conditions only help to make more fuzzy.
Discussion and arguments appeared on both sides, which I'm not interested in repeating here. It boils down to - whether technically allowed or not - me doing something which made several people uncomfortable.
So I apologise and will be adjusting my plans.
I will not be including the upcoming 'reviewing' parts of this course on this blog unless I receive specific permission from the author in question.
A disappointing necessity which will potentially mean this blog won't be a full documentation of the course but unavoidable I think.
Thankfully Sue was kind enough to allow me to leave her part of 3.13 in place, so I don't have to delete anything.
FutureLearn is in Beta testing at the moment. Hopefully this event gets back to them and it might lead to some clarification on their website, or maybe even something like blog software within the FutureLearn site - thus negating this issue.
Anyhoo - enough of this. I've received 2 official feedback on my 13.11 piece and I think it's time to take a look at them. See you there shortly.
Happy Writing :)
In 3.13a I copied Sue's piece of writing for reviewing as per what I'd done as part of the course. I didn't think anything of it. I'd attributed it, and not tried to pass it off as my own work or anything, so that was that.
However little did I know, that by moving it from the (partially) secluded comments of the FutureLearn system into my blog I'd effectively made that piece of writing public. This would in most cases instantly disqualify it from any competitions, or other official avenues Sue might have wanted to take that piece in the future.
A moral quandary which the OU terms and conditions only help to make more fuzzy.
Discussion and arguments appeared on both sides, which I'm not interested in repeating here. It boils down to - whether technically allowed or not - me doing something which made several people uncomfortable.
So I apologise and will be adjusting my plans.
I will not be including the upcoming 'reviewing' parts of this course on this blog unless I receive specific permission from the author in question.
A disappointing necessity which will potentially mean this blog won't be a full documentation of the course but unavoidable I think.
Thankfully Sue was kind enough to allow me to leave her part of 3.13 in place, so I don't have to delete anything.
FutureLearn is in Beta testing at the moment. Hopefully this event gets back to them and it might lead to some clarification on their website, or maybe even something like blog software within the FutureLearn site - thus negating this issue.
Anyhoo - enough of this. I've received 2 official feedback on my 13.11 piece and I think it's time to take a look at them. See you there shortly.
Happy Writing :)
Monday, May 12, 2014
3.13 a) Reviewing
Hey,
So I submitted my story, and whilst I *cough* calmly await returns I've submitted three reviews to others.
Sadly the website swallows the story and review into itself, so here is story number 3 which I still have my notes for!
This is written by Sue Reid
The old lady stared at her knitting and looked up. There was despair in her face as she said, 'I've just spotted a mistake ... here.' She stabbed with her finger part way down, nearer the beginning than the point she'd reached.
I looked at the spot and could just about see where the intricate lace pattern had gone slightly astray.
'Oh dear, what a shame. What are you going to do?'
She shrugged and stared at the offending piece.
'It's for my great granddaughter to wrap round her baby, when she brings him home from hospital.'
'Will she notice such a very small mistake?'
Another shrug, just as hopeless. 'But I'd know wouldn't I, I'd know it was there.'
There was nothing much more to say, it was a decision she alone had to make I suppose and nothing I'd say would make any ultimate difference.
Suddenly she looked up, clear blue eyes fixing themselves on my face.
'Say, my dear, isn't it a bit like life? If you could mend a mistake would you do it? Or would you pretend it hadn't happened and hope no one notices?'
I paused, uncertain how to answer. At last, as her eyes hadn't left my face, I said, 'I suppose I'd like to think I'd right the wrong. If I could.'
She gave one brief nod and pulled the stitches from the needle.
~
How was the central character portrayed and was this portrayal clear and interesting?
Assuming the old lady is the main character and not the character whose head we're in, then she comes across as emotional, but stolid in the end. Despite being in another character's head you clearly demonstrate the old lady's thinking process as she moves through the problem. From observation, to discovery, to repercussions, to options and finally a well argued decision. Very neatly done.
I will mention a quick think in this section though -
The old lady stared at her knitting and looked up.
This makes it sound like she has two pairs of eyes - one to stare at her knitting and the other to look up. Two alternatives come to mind. She could perhaps 'sigh' or 'squint' at her knitting and look up, or just add in 'then' after and.
What made you think this piece was a story and did you want to read on?
Technically a story. We have a start - discovering the problem. A middle - possible solutions, and an end with the dramatic decision. Despite the relatively mundane topic of missing a knitting stitch I flowed through it effortlessly so there's something going on right!
What were the most, and least, successful aspects of the writing?
The most I think is the flow as mentioned. Nice language usage carries the reader so easily to the end. I suspect if it was about paint drying you'd still manage it somehow.
Word choice - like in the example I gave - can sometimes slip you up though. The dialogue in particular can sometimes sound a little wooden.
'Oh dear, what a shame. What are you going to do?'
My mind naturally gave this a kind of monotone voice - not helped by us never learning anything about the other character.
Finally I want to offer an alternative world view to the old lady's.
Would you rather waste half your life worrying about/fixing tiny problems that cause no harm, or instead get on living it!
~
As I discussed with the Facebook group for this course - I found the questions rather restrictive. They were clearly trying to keep us focused on specifics here, but I would have preferred just a blank canvas for adding the comment in rather than 3 separate boxes.
Always an interesting exercise, and especially intriguing seeing the wide variety of writing styles so clearly. It's also nice that finally people will be getting some feedback. For all those unlucky enough not to have had their work spotted in the thousands of comments on the site (or get their blog linked in the Open Uni blog! Woo!) this is a great opportunity.
Next - the reviews I received!
Happy Writing :-)
So I submitted my story, and whilst I *cough* calmly await returns I've submitted three reviews to others.
Sadly the website swallows the story and review into itself, so here is story number 3 which I still have my notes for!
This is written by Sue Reid
The old lady stared at her knitting and looked up. There was despair in her face as she said, 'I've just spotted a mistake ... here.' She stabbed with her finger part way down, nearer the beginning than the point she'd reached.
I looked at the spot and could just about see where the intricate lace pattern had gone slightly astray.
'Oh dear, what a shame. What are you going to do?'
She shrugged and stared at the offending piece.
'It's for my great granddaughter to wrap round her baby, when she brings him home from hospital.'
'Will she notice such a very small mistake?'
Another shrug, just as hopeless. 'But I'd know wouldn't I, I'd know it was there.'
There was nothing much more to say, it was a decision she alone had to make I suppose and nothing I'd say would make any ultimate difference.
Suddenly she looked up, clear blue eyes fixing themselves on my face.
'Say, my dear, isn't it a bit like life? If you could mend a mistake would you do it? Or would you pretend it hadn't happened and hope no one notices?'
I paused, uncertain how to answer. At last, as her eyes hadn't left my face, I said, 'I suppose I'd like to think I'd right the wrong. If I could.'
She gave one brief nod and pulled the stitches from the needle.
~
How was the central character portrayed and was this portrayal clear and interesting?
Assuming the old lady is the main character and not the character whose head we're in, then she comes across as emotional, but stolid in the end. Despite being in another character's head you clearly demonstrate the old lady's thinking process as she moves through the problem. From observation, to discovery, to repercussions, to options and finally a well argued decision. Very neatly done.
I will mention a quick think in this section though -
The old lady stared at her knitting and looked up.
This makes it sound like she has two pairs of eyes - one to stare at her knitting and the other to look up. Two alternatives come to mind. She could perhaps 'sigh' or 'squint' at her knitting and look up, or just add in 'then' after and.
What made you think this piece was a story and did you want to read on?
Technically a story. We have a start - discovering the problem. A middle - possible solutions, and an end with the dramatic decision. Despite the relatively mundane topic of missing a knitting stitch I flowed through it effortlessly so there's something going on right!
What were the most, and least, successful aspects of the writing?
The most I think is the flow as mentioned. Nice language usage carries the reader so easily to the end. I suspect if it was about paint drying you'd still manage it somehow.
Word choice - like in the example I gave - can sometimes slip you up though. The dialogue in particular can sometimes sound a little wooden.
'Oh dear, what a shame. What are you going to do?'
My mind naturally gave this a kind of monotone voice - not helped by us never learning anything about the other character.
Finally I want to offer an alternative world view to the old lady's.
Would you rather waste half your life worrying about/fixing tiny problems that cause no harm, or instead get on living it!
~
As I discussed with the Facebook group for this course - I found the questions rather restrictive. They were clearly trying to keep us focused on specifics here, but I would have preferred just a blank canvas for adding the comment in rather than 3 separate boxes.
Always an interesting exercise, and especially intriguing seeing the wide variety of writing styles so clearly. It's also nice that finally people will be getting some feedback. For all those unlucky enough not to have had their work spotted in the thousands of comments on the site (or get their blog linked in the Open Uni blog! Woo!) this is a great opportunity.
Next - the reviews I received!
Happy Writing :-)
3.3 Reading Work in Progress
Week 3 - we're here already!
The early part of this week is focusing on the radio-prompt story from the end of last week. First we're asked to redraft it - thinking about character, and descriptions. I am counting the many small alterations I made during the latter part of last week to count for that. Thanks for various commenters on facebook, twitter #FLfiction14 and futurelearn for helping there! Particularly Gill and Frances.
So lets get into the meat of the discussion Derek wants us to have around these pieces.
The early part of this week is focusing on the radio-prompt story from the end of last week. First we're asked to redraft it - thinking about character, and descriptions. I am counting the many small alterations I made during the latter part of last week to count for that. Thanks for various commenters on facebook, twitter #FLfiction14 and futurelearn for helping there! Particularly Gill and Frances.
So lets get into the meat of the discussion Derek wants us to have around these pieces.
- Did you think what you wrote was a story?
- What made it a story?
- Did it have a structure?
- How did you go about portraying characters?
As for Jack - I can use my main character to just observe him and this has begun simply with the white hair and general appearance of youthfulness. Again this can develop further as necessary - but for a short story I think it is fine to let the reader fill in their own version of Jack and chances are if they've seen Rise of the Guardians they know exactly how I intend him to appear.
~
These are likely useful questions to be asking when I read someone else's work too. I think I'll try that next time we're asked to review!
Until then,
Happy Writing :-)
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
2.5 Talking about Writing
2.5 Talking about Writing.
You can see my writing area descriptions in the 2.4 post.
This was an good exercise, and a lot harder than I first though. Especially the second one. I decided to not split it directly into best/worst writing places, but make both seem pleasant enough from the point of view of the writers in those locations. Whether either one is heaven or hell for you will depend massively on individuals.
For me, despite the distractions, the first one is my preferred writing location. The second - a typewriter - would just irritate me. The constant terror of making an error and having to start again. The clunky heaviness. No - pleasant as it likely would be for some, it's not for me.
So lets talk about writing by going to the course comments and plucking out a random piece to ponder.
Today's victim is Julie Rowe. Her piece :
Sitting in the crowded bar trying to sort my notes into some sort of order was proving incredibly difficult. The bar was fairly quiet. but what noise there was bounced up into the high vaulted ceiling, swirled around the upsidedown boat carcasses and then caught the voices coming up before booming back down. The muzak was adding to the general noise chaos and whatever it was that was playing i could only hear the bass. All of this amalgamated into a clamour in my head which invaded my thoughts and sent them swirling off into the great unknown, never to be made sense of again.
My dining room table, a large mug of Yorkshirte team home alone, chores done, just me, ,my notes and a blank piece of paper or screen. Ahhhh silence at last. Come on mind, get yourself together!
First thought - what a wonderful image is the 'upsidedown boat carcasses'. I love the strength of this description. It builds the image up so vividly. That bar actually sounds a delightful place to write to me. At home, alone, I would just be too tempted to play some computer game instead!
Some comments for Julie then - in the vein of us trying to help each other.
- In the first line you call the bar crowded, and yet immediately at the start of the second you call it 'fairly quiet'. A confusing contradiction. 'Fairly' is one of those adverb things too. Watch out for words ending in 'ly'. One or two is fine, but they have a habit of sneaking in throughout writing and can make it weaker.
- General curiosity - is muzak a specific thing, or did you mean music? My apologies if English isn't a first language and this was just a slip. Although maybe it's a colloquialism. I'm not sure.
- Amalgamated is a great word, but here I'm not sure it works. It speaks of an almost graceful gathering together, or at least more smoothly than I get the impression the sounds are doing. I think the sentence works perfectly well without it. A sort of less-is-more moment.
"All of this clamoured through my head, invading my thoughts ..." etc
- I would like to have seen more of your home-alone writing. It seems like you ran out of steam after a lot of great description in the bar. Perhaps that's what you mean by your last line. Haha.
Is there a window in the room? What is the light like? Any smells? Is the table old or new, a family heirloom? Any pictures on the walls which might be there to help inspire your writing? Just details to bring it alive like you did in the first piece.
~
Just going through Julie's writing there proved to me how useful an exercise it is. Whilst looking for helpful comments to say I spotted similar issues in my own writing places and made a couple of edits. I'm learning more and more just how iterative writing actually is. Historically I've pretty much written, and almost never gone back to amend or add additions.
See you in the next section folks.
Happy Writing :-)
You can see my writing area descriptions in the 2.4 post.
This was an good exercise, and a lot harder than I first though. Especially the second one. I decided to not split it directly into best/worst writing places, but make both seem pleasant enough from the point of view of the writers in those locations. Whether either one is heaven or hell for you will depend massively on individuals.
For me, despite the distractions, the first one is my preferred writing location. The second - a typewriter - would just irritate me. The constant terror of making an error and having to start again. The clunky heaviness. No - pleasant as it likely would be for some, it's not for me.
So lets talk about writing by going to the course comments and plucking out a random piece to ponder.
Today's victim is Julie Rowe. Her piece :
Sitting in the crowded bar trying to sort my notes into some sort of order was proving incredibly difficult. The bar was fairly quiet. but what noise there was bounced up into the high vaulted ceiling, swirled around the upsidedown boat carcasses and then caught the voices coming up before booming back down. The muzak was adding to the general noise chaos and whatever it was that was playing i could only hear the bass. All of this amalgamated into a clamour in my head which invaded my thoughts and sent them swirling off into the great unknown, never to be made sense of again.
My dining room table, a large mug of Yorkshirte team home alone, chores done, just me, ,my notes and a blank piece of paper or screen. Ahhhh silence at last. Come on mind, get yourself together!
First thought - what a wonderful image is the 'upsidedown boat carcasses'. I love the strength of this description. It builds the image up so vividly. That bar actually sounds a delightful place to write to me. At home, alone, I would just be too tempted to play some computer game instead!
Some comments for Julie then - in the vein of us trying to help each other.
- In the first line you call the bar crowded, and yet immediately at the start of the second you call it 'fairly quiet'. A confusing contradiction. 'Fairly' is one of those adverb things too. Watch out for words ending in 'ly'. One or two is fine, but they have a habit of sneaking in throughout writing and can make it weaker.
- General curiosity - is muzak a specific thing, or did you mean music? My apologies if English isn't a first language and this was just a slip. Although maybe it's a colloquialism. I'm not sure.
- Amalgamated is a great word, but here I'm not sure it works. It speaks of an almost graceful gathering together, or at least more smoothly than I get the impression the sounds are doing. I think the sentence works perfectly well without it. A sort of less-is-more moment.
"All of this clamoured through my head, invading my thoughts ..." etc
- I would like to have seen more of your home-alone writing. It seems like you ran out of steam after a lot of great description in the bar. Perhaps that's what you mean by your last line. Haha.
Is there a window in the room? What is the light like? Any smells? Is the table old or new, a family heirloom? Any pictures on the walls which might be there to help inspire your writing? Just details to bring it alive like you did in the first piece.
~
Just going through Julie's writing there proved to me how useful an exercise it is. Whilst looking for helpful comments to say I spotted similar issues in my own writing places and made a couple of edits. I'm learning more and more just how iterative writing actually is. Historically I've pretty much written, and almost never gone back to amend or add additions.
See you in the next section folks.
Happy Writing :-)
2.3 Writer's Rituals
2.3 Writer's Rituals.
Week 2 dawns and Derek hints that this week we'll be working towards more character profiles and even a mini-story. Things move on apace.
But we start with an interesting discussion. Writing rituals, and superstitions. Lucky pens, and lucky chairs. Thinking spots and caps. Muses and Blocks.
It comes as little surprise to me that authors can be quite inventive in their rituals. After all, it's a profession centered around imagination and fantasy.
Monique's morning style is interesting. I could imagine something like that working well for me. I often have fairly vivid dreams which fade rapidly after I wake unless I make a conscious effort to record them. Whilst such notes are not going to be Shakespeare (or even really make any sense at all) I think it will be a good way of seeing what is floating through my imagination.
Week 2 dawns and Derek hints that this week we'll be working towards more character profiles and even a mini-story. Things move on apace.
But we start with an interesting discussion. Writing rituals, and superstitions. Lucky pens, and lucky chairs. Thinking spots and caps. Muses and Blocks.
It comes as little surprise to me that authors can be quite inventive in their rituals. After all, it's a profession centered around imagination and fantasy.
Monique's morning style is interesting. I could imagine something like that working well for me. I often have fairly vivid dreams which fade rapidly after I wake unless I make a conscious effort to record them. Whilst such notes are not going to be Shakespeare (or even really make any sense at all) I think it will be a good way of seeing what is floating through my imagination.
Michèle's psychotic breakdowns sound a little hectic and confused. Not really for me, however I have been known - when particularly bored - to just open up Notepad and start typing what I suppose is my inner dialogue.
14:02 Bored, bored... bored. Hmmm thirsty, should go get some water. It's a long way away though.
14:04 Mmmmm water.
You get the gist. I'm not sure how helpful it is. Whether it lets 'language out to dance' I'm not convinced. Passes a few minutes though. Very rarely it has morphed into a few paragraphs of what could become a short story.
~
So my general writing practice is to just write. I almost never do any planning beyond a concept. I am usually writing with little more than the vaguest idea of where it might end and let the story go where it will. This style almost certainly developed from the Storygaming origins of my writing. When readers are voting and deciding on what happens at the end of each chapter it makes planning very hard to do. The options they come up with for dealing with the various situations can be varied and surprising. Typically any plans are cast aside quickly.
I have experimented with a more formal planning session. For some of the competitions I entered on Writing.com I made brain-storm diagrams and word bubble pictures to come up with various possible options before choosing the one that felt most formed. It worked in a fashion, but felt forced.
Adding some more structure through use of the notepad, and whatever other tips we get during this course may help me find a more productive balance between planning and writing.
Happy Writing :)
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
1.13 Reading Characters
1.13 Reading Characters
Both pieces I enjoyed - the latter I favour mainly because it generated several giggles out of me which we'll get to.
George Orwell's piece then. Short, punchy. The key point for me here is the word 'hideous'. This isn't an ordinary birthmark which shallow people might perceive as being ugly and treat the person so. Here we have the narrator, the author, telling us, that it's not just a birthmark but a hideous one! It strikes me as harsh and is (for good or ill) certainly making a powerful impression as to how he wants us to picture his character. To my eyes, drumming it in a second time with "He was quite aware of its hideousness" is overkill.
The second piece, from Zoë Heller I really like. The dry humour is British-like and very much in the vein I enjoy. Lines like "before having to mould my face into the appropriate smile", and "the loose tendrils had graduated to hanks" particularly tickle me. I love the word-choice of 'hanks', very vivid and strong.
The style is flowing, introducing different elements about her naturally and interspersed between events and actions which breaks it up from otherwise a dense paragraph of description.
I think I'll be holding on to a copy of this and drawing inspiration from it next time.
But what do you think? Am I being overly critical of George? Am I missing flaws from Zoë?
Happy Writing :-)
Both pieces I enjoyed - the latter I favour mainly because it generated several giggles out of me which we'll get to.
George Orwell's piece then. Short, punchy. The key point for me here is the word 'hideous'. This isn't an ordinary birthmark which shallow people might perceive as being ugly and treat the person so. Here we have the narrator, the author, telling us, that it's not just a birthmark but a hideous one! It strikes me as harsh and is (for good or ill) certainly making a powerful impression as to how he wants us to picture his character. To my eyes, drumming it in a second time with "He was quite aware of its hideousness" is overkill.
The second piece, from Zoë Heller I really like. The dry humour is British-like and very much in the vein I enjoy. Lines like "before having to mould my face into the appropriate smile", and "the loose tendrils had graduated to hanks" particularly tickle me. I love the word-choice of 'hanks', very vivid and strong.
The style is flowing, introducing different elements about her naturally and interspersed between events and actions which breaks it up from otherwise a dense paragraph of description.
I think I'll be holding on to a copy of this and drawing inspiration from it next time.
But what do you think? Am I being overly critical of George? Am I missing flaws from Zoë?
Happy Writing :-)
1.11 The Writing Journey
1.11 The Writing Journey
Why do I write?
An interesting question. I guess I already covered the physical journey of my writing experience in the first blog, but that doesn't answer the question of why.
Lets go further back. I learnt to read at a young age thanks to the fantastic Peter and Jane book series. One of my earliest memories is of the book where they go to a birthday party. Later memories are of trawling book shops trying to find the elusive book 8c, or 12b or whatever missing part to the series I wanted to find.
From there the classic children's authors captured my imagination. Enid Blytons many many fantastic adventures - most notably Brier Rabbit, the Magic Faraway Tree and the Tales of Mr Pinkwhistle. Roald Dahl's superb collection begun by having The Twits read at school and then progressing through all his stories in my own time.
Just before becoming a teenager Brian Jacques was my new author and whilst my peers spent their pocket money on cassette tapes, LPs and later the latest CD's - I floated through the magical land of Martin the Warrior, and Redwall. To this day the delight I took in the Mole speech accent or scottish accents of the Northern Eagles is a bright glowing memory. Burr hurr, oi does loikes a gudd story oi do.
I smirk again, seeing some irony with me living in the West Country these days where Mole speech isn't a thousand miles from what I hear everyday. Ha!
I think it is pretty fair to say that a lifelong passion for reading has something to answer for when it comes to asking why I also enjoy to write.
Happy Writing :-)
Why do I write?
An interesting question. I guess I already covered the physical journey of my writing experience in the first blog, but that doesn't answer the question of why.
Lets go further back. I learnt to read at a young age thanks to the fantastic Peter and Jane book series. One of my earliest memories is of the book where they go to a birthday party. Later memories are of trawling book shops trying to find the elusive book 8c, or 12b or whatever missing part to the series I wanted to find.
From there the classic children's authors captured my imagination. Enid Blytons many many fantastic adventures - most notably Brier Rabbit, the Magic Faraway Tree and the Tales of Mr Pinkwhistle. Roald Dahl's superb collection begun by having The Twits read at school and then progressing through all his stories in my own time.
Just before becoming a teenager Brian Jacques was my new author and whilst my peers spent their pocket money on cassette tapes, LPs and later the latest CD's - I floated through the magical land of Martin the Warrior, and Redwall. To this day the delight I took in the Mole speech accent or scottish accents of the Northern Eagles is a bright glowing memory. Burr hurr, oi does loikes a gudd story oi do.
I smirk again, seeing some irony with me living in the West Country these days where Mole speech isn't a thousand miles from what I hear everyday. Ha!
I think it is pretty fair to say that a lifelong passion for reading has something to answer for when it comes to asking why I also enjoy to write.
Happy Writing :-)
1.5 Reading Fact and Fiction
1.5 Reading Fact and Fiction
Ok so it's time to check out other people's facts and fictions and answer some queries.
Ok so it's time to check out other people's facts and fictions and answer some queries.
- Is there anything that distinguishes the fictitious elements?
- Are there common elements that you and your fellow writers write about as ‘facts’?
- Do any of these passages suggest stories to you?
So I'm going to pop to the lesson comments and pull out a random paragraph :
This is from Alan Bithell
Three fiction, one fact
The walk back from Loch Mord turned a pleasantly tired feeling unto utter exhaustion. Cows, it turns out, are more dangerous than sharks, as our short cut proved. Dignity fled faster than we did, when we realised the steadily growing thundering noise was being made by a herd of enraged highland cows.
Ok I'm going to be taking a guess here. I think the green highlight is the fact. That speaks like some common saying, likely due to some statistic about deaths to cows compared with sharks used by people to defend sharks and get tourists back on to beaches. Similar to that same statistic about flying which is wheeled out every time there's a plane crash. Back-up guess that the species of cow is the fact.
The walk back from Loch Mord turned a pleasantly tired feeling unto utter exhaustion. Cows, it turns out, are more dangerous than sharks, as our short cut proved. Dignity fled faster than we did, when we realised the steadily growing thundering noise was being made by a herd of enraged highland cows.
Ok I'm going to be taking a guess here. I think the green highlight is the fact. That speaks like some common saying, likely due to some statistic about deaths to cows compared with sharks used by people to defend sharks and get tourists back on to beaches. Similar to that same statistic about flying which is wheeled out every time there's a plane crash. Back-up guess that the species of cow is the fact.
The fictions are a little trickier. I reckon the Loch name is a fabrication. It may exist, but they weren't there. The 'thundering' noise seems very 'story' like in its description. Finally I'm not convinced the cows really were 'enraged'. They're pretty placid creatures. Any 'stampede' would likely be panicked cows rather than from anger.
Hopefully Alan stops by to confirm - but otherwise an interesting exercise.
So my paragraph then.
1) It seemed strange to be 32 years old and yet still feel like a teenager. Surely I should grow up at some point and act like an adult! Running a hand through my long black hair I suppressed a sigh and picked up the next piece of ironing. Just ten more items to go!
My fact is my age, my fictions are my actually short brown hair, and I simply never do ironing! Perhaps that makes the second sentence another fact! Oops.
My second paragraph - all truth except Bogey is a cat, not a dog! Yes, we really did name a pet Bogey.
I may have more to say regarding the questions once I read some more people's examples and actually get see some answers where people
Happy Writing. :-)
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